This Open Access Publishing Summit on March 26 will cover all topics you need to know about Publishing your next Open Access article by SANLiC Agreement and why publishing Open Access is beneficial for researchers. It will present an overview of Springer Nature Open Research strategy, benefits, and reasons for Publishing Open access and the ‘why’ specific to Springer Nature.
In today’s rapidly evolving scholarly publishing landscape, transformative agreements stand out as a beacon of innovation and progress. These agreements represent a transformative shift towards sustainable, open access publishing models that benefit researchers, institutions, and the wider academic community. Re Transformative agreements offer a win-win solution for researchers and institutions alike. By transitioning towards open access publishing, these agreements ensure that research findings are freely accessible to readers worldwide, maximizing the impact and visibility of your work. Moreover, transformative agreements provide researchers with greater control over their intellectual property rights, fostering a more equitable and inclusive publishing environment.
How they work?
Transformative agreement is when a consortium or institution enters a partnership with a publisher to enable a large-scale transition of journals towards open access. These agreements provide researchers (faculty academic staff, researchers, research fellows, post-doctoral fellows, postgraduate and undergraduates students) with unrestricted reading access from our journal subscriptions, along with financial support to cover article processing charges (APCs).
Researchers don’t pay APCs
Researchers at NWU can publish articles open access at no cost to them from the hybrid open access journals negotiated by SANLiC of which NWU LIS is part of. Our agreement with Elsevier is on hybrid open journals not gold open access journals. Researchers who choose to publish in Elsevier’s’ gold open access journals will be required to cover article processing charges (APCs), with Elsevier offering a 15% discount.
Postgraduate students, postdoctoral fellows, early career researchers, eminent researchers and extra ordinary professors, including support staff at NWU have the opportunity to publish their articles open access without incurring APCs through journals negotiated by LIS via SANLiC from the listed publishers:
Disseminate your article including communication assets wider through open repositories and research(er) profiling tools to maximize research visibility and impact
Get noticed and increase the impact by sharing your work using identifiers like DOIs, ISBN’s, handles….
Key Benefits for Researchers, departments, faculties, and institutions:
Transformative agreements facilitate unrestricted access to research articles by making findings more visible and discoverable to benefit the public
Open access publishing promotes collaboration and knowledge-sharing among researchers, leading to greater interdisciplinary insights and discoveries.
Many funding agencies now require researchers to publish their findings in open access journals. These Transformative Agreements ensure that researchers meet these requirements without compromising on the quality or prestige of the journals they publish in.
Researchers who participate in open science practices, such as publishing open access, are in accordance with the recommendations outlined by UNESCO regarding Open Science.
Case Studies:
NWU researchers have published their articles openly accessible via transformative agreements at no cost to them, and the following are the top 5 articles that garnered the highest scores and attention from the general public.
The adoption of transformative agreements marks a significant step forward in unlocking open access at NWU. By embracing these innovative open access publishing models, the university demonstrates its commitment to advancing knowledge dissemination, promoting equity in access to research, and fostering collaboration within the global academic community. As NWU continues to navigate the evolving landscape of scholarly publishing, transformative agreements offer a pathway towards a more inclusive and sustainable future, where research outputs are freely accessible to all, driving innovation and societal impact. Let us embrace this future together and propel NWU to the forefront of open access scholarship, shaping a brighter tomorrow for generations to come.
The North-West University International Open Access Week Colloquium on October 24, 2023, was a momentous event that brought together scholars, researchers, and open access advocates from around the world. With the theme “Community over Commercialisation,” the colloquium encouraged a candid conversation about the best interests of the public and the academic community in open scholarship. Now that the event has concluded, let us reflect on the highlights and the impact of this 16th annual gathering.
The Essence of Open Access Week
International Open Access Week, now in its sixteenth year, continues to be a global event that champions openness in research and scholarship. It serves as an opportunity for open access advocates to connect with research communities, inform them about the potential benefits of open access, and inspire greater involvement in making open access a standard practice in academia and research. This year’s theme, “Community over Commercialisation,” was thoughtfully chosen to provoke conversations about the values that guide open scholarship. The North-West University LIS partnered with the Faculty of Humanities and Faculty of Education and held a hybrid colloquium on October 2023 at Vanderbijlpark in commemoration of open access week.
One of the distinctive features of the 2023 Colloquium was its hybrid format, with virtual (61) and in person (78) attendance. Attendees had the option to participate in person at the Samancor Auditorium on Vanderbijlpark Campus or virtually through Microsoft Teams. This approach was a testament to the commitment to inclusivity, ensuring that knowledge-sharing knows no geographic bounds.
Notable Programme Highlights
The colloquium featured a rich programme with engaging sessions led by Prof. Gustav, Director UPSET Research Area; Faculty of Humanities, NWU:
Dr. Moyo, the Chief Director of Library and Information Service at NWU, set the stage for the event by welcoming and acknowledging the presence of distinguished guests and speakers, highlighting the significance of their contributions in raising awareness about open access and its impact on the research community, and further discussing in brief NWU LIS Open Access initiatives and emphasising the importance of open access in the academic community. Dr. Mabunda, Associate Director of Research and Learning Services at WITS, discussed Research Data Management, the FAIR principles, and delved into the significance of open research data, shedding light on its transformative potential and how libraries can operationalise openness in scholarly communication.
Prof. Kwatubana, Associate Professor at NWU’s School of Professional Studies in Education, emphasised the benefits of open access for the academic community, and how as an academic she benefited from LIS open access initiatives such as transformative agreements. Prof. Laubscher, UNESCO Chair on Multimodal Learning and OER at NWU, discussed the role of open educational resources in assessment and learning. Highlighting how both OER and open access contribute to the vision of a more inclusive and equitable education landscape, where information is not restricted by financial constraints or geographical boundaries. These movements emphasise the power of shared knowledge to drive positive societal change and foster a more collaborative and interconnected global learning community.
Prof. Ngoepe, Executive Director of Library and Information Services at UNISA, explored the synergy between digital and human capabilities in open science. He shed some light on the different types of open access and their legal implications, and most importantly the researcher benefits that comes with open access publishing, including, among others, research visibility and citation distribution, and again how metaverse technology and digital transformation can help in supporting open access movement. Prof. Ngoepe further emphasised the importance of libraries as custodians of the information to take an active role in open science by availing their Institutional Repositories for open access publishing. Dr. Chizwina, Director of Information and Learning Services at NWU, concluded the colloquium, summarising the key takeaways, emphasizing the essence of libraries aligning themselves with the changing publishing landscapes and finally the overall impact of the Open Access event.
A Call to Action
The 2023 International Open Access Week Colloquium was a resounding success, with attendees participating in discussions that extended beyond the sessions. It provided a platform for open access advocates to reaffirm their commitment to open scholarship and its role in serving the best interests of the public and the academic community.
As we reflect on the colloquium’s impact, it is clear that open access is not just a concept; it is a movement that empowers individuals and institutions to share knowledge, foster collaboration, and prioritise transparency. The candid conversations about “Community over Commercialisation” underscored the essence of open scholarship, emphasising that the community should always be at the heart of academic pursuits.
In closing, the International Open Access Week Colloquium 2023 has left a renewed sense of purpose and an unwavering commitment to making open access a new transformative norm in scholarship and research. In looking towards the future, the NWU LIS will continue to prioritise community, inclusivity, and the advancement of knowledge for the betterment of society.
By Malose Langa; Lindiwe Mabuya; Cynthia Mpofu Mpofu
We are excited to invite you to the North-West University, Library and Information Service Open Access Week 2023, where we will celebrate the power of open access to advance research, innovation, and collaboration.
Event details:
Date: Tuesday 24 October 2023
Time: 11:00 to 13:00
Venue: Samancor Auditorium, Building A11 – Vanderbijlpark Campus
Theme: Open for Collaboration: community over commercialisation
Open Access Week is an annual global event that aims to promote and raise awareness about open access as a means to remove barriers to accessing scholarly information. This year, we have planned a series of engaging activities, discussions, and workshops to highlight the benefits of open access and how it can foster collaboration among researchers, students, and the broader academic community.
This event is open to all members of the North-West University community, including faculty, researchers, students, and staff, as well as external partners interested in the world of open access.
Please RSVP by Sunday 22 October 2023 to secure your spot at this exciting event. To register and view the complete schedule of events, please visit HERE.
We look forward to your participation in Open Access Week 2023 at North-West University, Library and Information Service where we will explore the endless possibilities that open access offers to the world of research and academia.
If you have any questions or need further information, please do not hesitate to contact us in the library.
Let’s come together to celebrate openness, collaboration, and the power of knowledge dissemination through open access!
Warm regards,
Mr. Malose Langa Manager: Research and Learning Services
In the ever-evolving landscape of academia, research is undergoing a profound transformation. Traditional scholarship methods are increasingly being complemented by digital tools and methodologies, creating a new era of exploration and discovery. At the heart of this transformation lies the Digital Scholarship Centre (DSC), a dynamic hub that is redefining the way we conduct research and share knowledge.
The DSC is a teaching, learning, and research facility for students and staff of North-West University (NWU) and supports the needs of the university community. Room number LG 15, building MC-A7, on the Mahikeng Campus Library, was converted into a digital scholarship centre. The Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL) has led the establishment of Makerspace, which is also located in the library, which leaves this project with Digitisation space and Data Visualisation space to come to completion.
The Digital Science Centre is a dedicated space within an academic institution that uses the power of digital technologies to support research, teaching, and learning. It bridges traditional academia and the digital age, offering a wide range of resources and expertise to facilitate digital scholarship. The DSC is not just a physical space but a catalyst for change in the academic world. It empowers researchers, enhances learning, and expands the horizons of knowledge. As the digital age continues to reshape academia, DSCs are at the forefront, guiding us toward new frontiers of research and scholarship. Whether you are a seasoned researcher or a curious student, the DSC is an indispensable resource for unlocking the future of scholarship.
The goal of the Digital Scholarship Centre is to bring together Library expertise in the areas of scholarly publishing, digitisation, metadata, digital collections, digital scholarship, data management, data curation, preservation, repositories, digital cultures, eLearning, and Open Educational Resources. To expand the capacity of the university research community to create and share new kinds of scholarship by bringing together researchers and students with a one-stop-shop for the many resources available at the University.
A number of our nondigitised collections have a wealth of data and information available to researchers when they are brought to life by making them available online. The DSC aims to increase the research output, visibility, and impact, increasing the research flagship of NWU. Moreover, DSC aims to create a strong online presence and provide a physical hub/centre with hardware and software many researchers cannot afford. The DSC will promote collaboration among researchers through collaborative online environments for collaborative research projects.
Contributors: Dr Tiyani Mabunda, Mr Sakhile Mngomezulu
The following products and services are available @ your NWU Library and Information Service (LIS):
Product
Writefull – it proofreads your text in seconds. It is made for students and researchers. It offers AI-based language feedback and big data insights to help authors and copy editors improve their texts. Writefull’s AI helps researchers and students to write, paraphrase, copyedit, and more. Writefull spots mistakes others do not.
What is the difference between Grammarly and Writefull? Grammarly focuses on fixing general English, such as emails. Writefull’s focus is research writing. As Writefull’s language models have been trained on published papers, they give feedback tailored to academic writing, and are familiar with technical, discipline-specific terms.
Press Reader– it provides access to more than 7,000 of the world’s top newspapers and magazines. This includes SA sources such as Sunday Times, The Citizen, Good Housekeeping, Destiny, finweek, Huisgenoot, Sowetan, Elle, Mail & Guardian, Cosmopolitan, etc.
Endnote – it is a commercial reference management software package, used to manage bibliographies and references when writing essays, reports and articles. It is very helpful to students (especially postgraduate) and researchers. Organizing your references and building bibliographies for dissertations, theses, and research papers.
Library Database training – WorldCat Discovery: Using the NWU Library Catalogue to access information sources (Print books, eBooks, Past exam papers, Institutional Repository, journal articles from databases) etc.
NWU Libraries’ support for Open Access publishing through Transformative Agreements – The term “transformative agreement” refers to agreements negotiated between institutions and publishers, where former subscription expenses are redirected to support open-access publishing of the institutions’ authors. This shifts the business model of scholarly journal publishing from toll / subscription access to one with fair remuneration for open access services. In South Africa, SANLiC, a consortium for academic libraries, secured transformative agreements with eight international publishers on behalf of South African university libraries and began implementing them in 2021. NWU Library and Information Services also signed its first transformative agreement in 2022, facilitated by SANLiC, ensuring that accepted articles by NWU authors submitted to the publishers’ hybrid open-access journals would be published free of charge. For more info: https://libguides.nwu.ac.za/transformative-agreements.
NWU Libraries’ support for Research Data Management The North-West University Libraries offers comprehensive support for Research Data Management (RDM) to facilitate effective data organization, preservation, and sharing among researchers. Through tailored workshops, expert consultations with librarians, and access to relevant resources and tools, the library empowers researchers to adhere to best practices in data management, ensuring data integrity, compliance with ethical standards, and long-term accessibility. Additionally, the library collaborates with researchers in implementing Data Management Plans (DMPs) and assists in depositing datasets in NWU data repository called Dayta Ya Rona to promote the discoverability and reuse of valuable research outputs, contributing to the advancement of scholarly knowledge and enhancing the university’s research impact. For more information: https://libguides.nwu.ac.za/research-data-management.
What is ORCID®? ORCID (Open Researcher and Contributor Identification) is an open, not-for-profit organisation aiming to supply a persistent and unique identifier – an ORCID iD – to any individual involved in research, scholarship, and innovation activities.
How to create your ORCID Step 1: Register for an ORCID – Follow this link to visit the NWU Manuscript system to create a new ORCID iD. This system can also be used to link an existing ORCID iD. If you are unsure whether you already have an ORCID iD, search the ORCID registry on their website for your name. – Use your CAS username and password to register/log in. This is the same username and password you use to log into eFundi and computers on campus. – Click here for a step-by-step guide through the registration and linking process. For more information click: https://library.nwu.ac.za/orcid
Repositories unlocked for discovery and interoperability
Open Repositories Conference 2023 (OR2023), the first of its kind to be hosted in the motherland, Africa. The theme was “Repositories unlocked for discovery and interoperability”. About 290 delegates from different corners of the world converged in OR2023 hosted by Stellenbosch University from 12 – 15 June 2023. Yes, Lungile Dlamini, Sakhile Mngomezulu and Lizwi Njani were among the esteemed attendees who enthusiastically engaged and contributed immensely to the discourse. Indeed, North-West University Library and Information Service (LIS) and Information Technology (IT) were well represented. Attendees from 41 various countries zealously listened and engaged about topics ranging from cutting-edge technologies, innovations and best practices in information and data repositories inter alia.
Lungile Dlamini, Sakhile Mngomezulu and Lizwi Njani
To set the tone for the conference, OR2023 started with various workshops. Lungile attending a workshop themed “Good practice to support non-English and multilingual content”. These workshops resonated with the team as NWU has a multilingual policy. Sakhile and Lizwi attended the workshop themed “Upgrade to Dspace 7”. This is relevant because the LIS and IT are currently investigating the major upgrade of Boloka from version 6.3 to version 7.6. Therefore, it was paramount for the team responsible for the institutional repository to attend the workshop. These were robust, thought-provoking and informative.
The conference commenced with extensive training on upgrading to Dspace 7. NWU is still on DSpace 6.3 and this knowledge was useful, given there is a plan to upgrade to Dspace 7. ~ Sakhile Mngomezulu
With oozing confidence from the workshops, the rest of the conference was so much enlightening, Lizwi, Lungile and Sakhile can attest that universities and their libraries do not exist in a vacuum, they operate in a competitive environment. Consequently, analysing and engaging with other global academic entities enables us to reposition and harness contemporary trends. Work done in repositories is an ever-growing work. Other countries are far more advanced in digital technologies, while others are still in the developing stages. This conference helped to keep track of where one stands regarding staff skilling, content, advancements, and application used as repositories. The reality is that digital repositories and access policies are ever-advancing. Therefore, LIS should always keep up with the latest developments and relevant technologies to constantly meet the needs of the patrons. These digital platforms must be effectively managed as they provide free access to research outputs, ensuring that valuable research is disseminated widely for the benefit of societies and communities.
This conference helped to keep track of where one stands regarding staff skilling, content, advancements and application used in repositories. ~ Lungile Dlamini
The LIS would be negating its prime role to support teaching, learning and research if access to information is restricted to the patrons. Thus, attendees learnt the indispensable role of language plays in repositories, as this determines the discoverability and use of content. When the language of the resource is correctly attributed, it allows discovery and indexing services to properly process and describe the text. Indigenous languages in academic publishing are the most important as they ensure access to information. Sometimes their importance is underestimated by libraries as a result, this prevents society from using and taking advantage of research output that would contribute to the development of society. Metadata was identified as the key component of repositories which enables access. It was highlighted that Metadata librarians in Africa should be active in subject creation. This will allow content in African languages to be properly indexed and catalogued, leading to an increase in discoverability and access.
What a perfect moment to network and build connection as LIS and IT are exploiting modern technologies. One could not miss the opportunity to learn, engage and contribute to the right cause of OR2023 community. ~ Lizwi Njani
It is verifiable that in the modern world, accessibility and discoverability of content prerequisites are to have a stable IT infrastructure and support system. Thus, the tech gurus with various IT experiences in the industry also presented ways to support repositories, accessibility and discoverability of information resources. As the current strategic plan of LIS and IT strategy fosters interoperability and integration of the system, it was also great to rub shoulders with these tech gurus, to learn and educate one another. A take-home was the importance of upgrading Dspace to the latest version, integrating ORCID and other related systems into Dspace. Indeed, one can say that LIS is ready to start with the upgrade process of Boloka.
As the theme of the conference suggests “Repositories unlocked for discovery and interoperability”, OR2023 provided an opportunity to reflect and explore ways LIS can reposition its repositories thereby enabling discoverability, accessibility and interoperability of information and data in the digital platform.
The fifteenth International Open Access Week was commemorated globally from the 24th -30th of October 2022 with the theme “Open for Climate Justice”. The main purpose of this year’s theme was to encourage the research and academic community to collaborate and engage one another to find solutions to the global climate crisis through Open Access. Knowledge sharing is regarded as a basic human right and the free flow of information amongst communities through Open Access has the potential to benefit society socially, economically, and politically.
The North-West University LIS held a hybrid colloquium on the 25th of October 2022 at the Potchefstroom Campus in commemoration of Open Access Week. Online attendees were 105, and 28 people attended physically.
Dr Moyo, Chief Director Library and Information Service (NWU) reported on LIS initiatives to promote and support open access research. He mentioned that Boloka, the NWU Institutional Repository is growing and that we have a mandate (NRF) that all research output must be included in a repository. Researchers are able to publish in open access journals without publishing fees, due to transformative OA agreements handled by SANLiC. With the establishment of the Research and Open Scholarship Directorate under the guidance of Dr Tiyani Mabunda, the NWU LIS has a dedicated entity to support research and make output more visible.
Mr Lazarus Matizirofa, Deputy Director: Scholarly Communication, Digital Services and Systems of the University of Pretoria, discussed the benefits of promoting green open access through the Institutional Repository.
The colloquium was concluded with an interesting discussion on the past, present and future of Open Access by Milica Glavonjic, Business Development Assistant at the MDPI. The MDPI is regarded as the world’s most-cited open access publisher. “Open Access to information – the free, immediate, online access to the results of scholarly research, and the right to use and re-use those results as you need – has the power to transform the way research and scientific inquiry are conducted It has direct and widespread implications for academia, medicine, science, industry, and for society as a whole.”
The LIS is grateful that Prof Jeanetta du Plessis, Deputy Dean of Research and Innovation at the Faculty of Health Sciences (NWU) could be available as very competent Programme Director.
ARTICLE BY: MAPHEFO MAAKE, MANAGER INFORMATION AND RESEARCH SERVICES (MAHIKENG) LOUISE VOS, SENIOR MANAGER OUTREACH, PROJECTS AND QUALITY
In a virtual colloquium, the NWU LIS celebrated International Open Access Week on 26 October 2021 with about 100 attendees. In his opening address, Prof Jeffrey Mphahlele, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Innovation (NWU) touched on open science, open data as well as Boloka, the Institutional Repository. He alluded that “we have to adopt open access to information”. Our strategic goal as an institution in research is about straightening research innovation with a focus on impactful globalization. He encouraged all researchers to publish in open access journals and stressed the importance of supporting scientific research through public funding.
Prof Jeffrey Mphahlele, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Innovation (NWU)
The LIS Open Access Initiatives and Technologies
Dr. Tiyani Mabunda, Director: Open Scholarship presented on behalf of the LIS Chief Director, Dr. Mathew Moyo.
The increased emphasis on Open Science has given rise to new support areas for the Library and Information Service (LIS) environment. The NWU LIS is continuously reviewing its catalogue of research services in order to keep pace with the changes and demands of Open Science.
The NWU LIS supports open access publishing and dissemination of information through open access platforms such as Open Journal system (OJS), NWU Institutional Repository (Boloka), NWU Research Data Repository (Dayta Ya Rona), DMPTool, and ORCID. The Librarians for Research and Scholarly Communication provide advanced data and information literacy group training or one-on-one consultations to postgraduates and researchers.
The role of universities in opening up access through Open Educational Resources
Prof Jako Olivier, UNESCO Research Chair on Multimodal Learning and Open Educational Resources, NWU.
Prof Jako Olivier touched on the role of universities in opening up access through Open Educational Resources (OER) and linked to the theme of this year’s Open Access Week: “It matters how we open knowledge: building structural equity“.
The cost of openness, the role of universities, the context of the North-West University, and the way forward were discussed.
He referred to the questions of how we as individuals contribute to open knowledge, how do we move from open access to open educational practices and concluded with the important matter of who can change publication practices.
Open Science Policies and Mandates: Open Access to publications and research data
Ms Iryna Kuchma, Open Access Programme Manager, EIFL
Ms. Iryna Kuchma proceeded by touching on Open Science practices such as early and open sharing of research, research output management, measures to ensure reproducibility of research outputs, and more other practices. Ms. Kuchma explained the importance of making metadata open under a creative commons domain in line with the FAIR principles. She touched on Open Access policies, how the universities commit to the social justice principles of open access. She actively seeks to share South African and African research and teaching imperatives, which will contribute to the socio-economic development of Africa.
After a full programme, a Q & A session on open research practice was facilitated by Prof Jeanetta du Plessis, Deputy Dean: Research and Innovation (NWU) and Prof. Leon De Beer, Director: WorkWell Research Entity (NWU).
NWU: Library and Information Service News 